Views of the Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell

Another big oil drilling rig has come to Port Aransas on Thursday for refitting.

Big Rig

This platform is the Noble Jim Day, and it has moved from the Gulf of Mexico to its mooring on Harbor Island in Port Aransas. The Nobel Jim Day is owned by the Nobel Corporation with offices in London and Sugarland, Texas. The unit is a semi-submersible and capable of operating in 12,000 feet of water and can drill to 37,000 feet. She was built in 1999 and retrofitted in 2010. She was primarily deployed in North America.

You can see in the background another rig The West Sirus that was parked back in July of 2015. This shot shows how the tug boats push and pull the deepwater drilling rig into place.

big rig

This photo is a shot of the rig nearing Harbor Island. It is now blocking the other apparatus from view. While the platform passed through the channel, all ferry-boat activity was halted.

big rig

Once the platform moved by the ferry-boat landing, the boats began running. You can see the long white ferries in the foreground beginning their crossing.

This photo shows the emergence of Harbor Island to the right as the big rig gets closer. Also, the ferries take on a frenzied appearance.

Big rig

The final shot shows the big rig in its new home.

Big rig

 

39 thoughts on “Views of the Neighborhood”

  1. While accepting that these things bring jobs and wealth, I could see myself becoming somewhat NIMBY about it (not that such a rig is ever likely to appear in my neck of the woods).

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  5. Thanks for these photos John. It’s absolutely amazing that we are capable of moving things of this scale with relative ease. How long will the refit take (any averages?)

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  8. Good morning, John,
    and thanks fore these pictures. I’ve never seen a complete drilling rig being towed past Port A. I only saw one still in the making [http://tinyurl.com/znyn25b]. These things are really gigantic, aren’t they? Both fascinating and scary at yhe same time. Talking of scary: I still rememeber encountering one being towed when I was sailing through the Strait of Gibraltar. Even being towed it had a speed advantage over us sailing, which meant we had to really make an effort not to get in its way.
    Back to Port A again: I really like to watch the ship channel [http://tinyurl.com/p845ldz & http://tinyurl.com/pbc56s7%5D
    Have a wonderful Sunday down there,
    Pit

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    1. I can’t imagine what it would be like trying to avoid a platform. Also, sailing around Gibraltar must have been a challenge. Thanks for sharing your posts too.

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      1. That was a really great trip: from Gran Canaria to Mallorca – three weeks, and most of it on the high seas.
        That rig with – I don’t remember how many – the tugs spread out in front of it looked a bit like a big net about to catch us. But we were far enough to the side to avoid it. It was in the middle of the night, btw.
        Gibraltar from the water is something, yes. I’ve seen it a few times in my previous life as a sailor.

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  11. I for one don’t consider these to be eyesores. As the daughter of a geologist, I think they represent jobs, freedom from foreign involvement, and the excitement of finding something that was previously hidden. Thanks for a lovely tour, my friend!

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  14. I’m thankful to live in a location that doesn’t have to deal with ugly eyesores such as those! The pristine coastline around here is home to many oyster beds. You won’t find me eating oysters from anywhere else in the country, LOL
    🙂

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